Santa Fe: Gunnar Nixon places third in decathlon...
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Edmond Santa Fe track star Gunnar Nixon finished third in the decathlon at the US Junior Track and Field Championships on Thursday night at Drake University in Iowa.
Nixon was in second place after the first day, but a disappointing discus throw result Thursday afternoon put Nixon in too big of a hole. Nixon finished 16th in the event.
“I learned a lot (from these two days). Yeah, I learned a lot,” Nixon said. “I learned that even though I might be the most athletic out there, it’s about who shows up on that day. I just wasn’t feeling it.”
Nixon finished in the top six of every other event Thursday and won the high jump Wednesday.
South Florida’s Neamen Wise won the event while Kevin Lazas of Brentwood, Tenn., placed second.
Nixon was named the Gatorade Oklahoma Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year earlier this week.
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There was no cheering up Nixon on this night (that’s the high standard he puts up for himself). You could sense the disappointment in his voice. The discus was obviously the key and Nixon was open about that.
He started the day great as the 110 hurdles is right in his alley. Nixon builds a lot of momentum when it comes to the high jump, 400 and 110 hurdles. From an outsider’s view (since I don’t get to see him too much), those are the three events that Nixon really piles up the points in.
